Where did the astronomer go?
I've not posted in this blog since 2007. Actually, I've not really produced any decent images since late 2007. Only after six months of phaffing about have I started to reach the standards I got to three years ago. For example, I'm quite pleased with my recent pop at the North American Nebula .
So what happened?
I got out of the habit.
Astrophotography is a habit. If you do it regularly then it starts to become easier. If you get out of the habit, then getting back into the routine of regular imaging is extremely difficult. I got out of the habit and I'm trying as hard as I possibly can to get back into the habit.
Why did I stop. Actually, that is quite easy. In Jan 2008 I broke my arm in quite spectacular fashion and it took a good three months before I was back up to 75% with that arm. Astrophotography doesn’t respond well to one-handed operation. So I got out of the habit. Around the same time I can some camera problems which I’ve only now got around to solving properly. You can also add some pathetic health problems (a sort of minor nervous breakdown) to this list of reasons.
As soon as you get out of the habit, life takes over and you haven’t got any time for imaging. You need to get up for work. You have to have baths. It all adds up.
I feel I’m almost there this time. Hopefully I’ll string together some more images in due course and will once again be able to call myself a proper astronomer!
So what happened?
I got out of the habit.
Astrophotography is a habit. If you do it regularly then it starts to become easier. If you get out of the habit, then getting back into the routine of regular imaging is extremely difficult. I got out of the habit and I'm trying as hard as I possibly can to get back into the habit.
Why did I stop. Actually, that is quite easy. In Jan 2008 I broke my arm in quite spectacular fashion and it took a good three months before I was back up to 75% with that arm. Astrophotography doesn’t respond well to one-handed operation. So I got out of the habit. Around the same time I can some camera problems which I’ve only now got around to solving properly. You can also add some pathetic health problems (a sort of minor nervous breakdown) to this list of reasons.
As soon as you get out of the habit, life takes over and you haven’t got any time for imaging. You need to get up for work. You have to have baths. It all adds up.
I feel I’m almost there this time. Hopefully I’ll string together some more images in due course and will once again be able to call myself a proper astronomer!
